Science
Zhangheng-1 / CSES-1
Catalogued as ZHANGHENG 1-01 (CSES-1)
Ionospheric / Seismic Precursor Research · CNSA / Italian Space Agency (ASI)
Right now
LiveIt moves every second. See exactly where it is — worked out from its orbit, on your own device — on the live 3D globe.
- Over
- —
- Altitude
- —
- Speed
- —
Named after a 2nd-century Chinese polymath who invented the world's first seismoscope, Zhangheng-1 searches for electromagnetic disturbances in the ionosphere before earthquakes. The controversial theory holds that seismic activity creates detectable changes in the ionosphere hours before a quake. Whether or not that link proves out, the satellite has built an invaluable baseline dataset of the ionosphere's normal electromagnetic behavior — useful for space weather, communications, and navigation science.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 310–321 mi (499–517 km)
- Inclination
- 97.7°
- One orbit
- 94.6 minutes15.2 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 43194
- Int’l designator
- 2018-015C
- Launched
- 2018
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More science
- ZHEDA PIXING 1BChinese University Technology Demonstrator
- ZHEDA PIXING 1CChinese University Technology Demonstrator
- ZHIHUI TIANWANG-1 01AChinese Technology Demonstrator (Formation)
- ZHIHUI TIANWANG-1 01BChinese Technology Demonstrator (Formation)
- ZHIXING-2AUnidentified Satellite / Object
- ZHUHAI-1 03BChinese Commercial Video Imaging Satellite